This presentation explores the meta-synthesis process undertaken in the Research on Open Educational Resources for Development (ROER4D) project through Archer's (2003) social realist theoretical perspective.
1. Agency and volition: A social realist
perspective on select findings from
the ROER4D project
Glenda Cox, Cheryl Hodgkinson-Williams
& Henry Trotter
18 April 2018 – OER18 – Bristol, UK
2. Overview of presentation
o Introduction to ROER4D
o Meta-synthesis
approach (multiple sub-
projects)
o Social realism
o Single sub-project
comparison with meta-
synthesis framework
http://roer4d.org/edited-volume-2
5. Meta-level research question
In what ways, and under what circumstances,
can the adoption of OER impact upon the
increasing demand for accessible, relevant, high-
quality and affordable education in the Global
South?
- As a way to synthesise 17 autonomous sub-
projects within the ROER4D network
6. Meta-synthesis approach
o Synthesis of draft book chapters of the
ROER4D edited volume, research reports and
in some cases primary micro data
o Conceptual framework of 10Cs “Open
Education Cycle” developed by Hodgkinson-
Williams (2014) and refined by Walji &
Hodgkinson-Williams (2017)
o Theoretical framing using some aspects of
Margaret Archer’s (2003) social realism
7. Meta-synthesis methodology
o Nvivo used to code themes emergent in the
chapters and research reports
o Themes helped to provide a more
comprehensive understanding and to indicate
general trends across the sub-projects findings
o This presentation will illustrate the meta-
synthesis approach highlighting one step in
the Open Education Cycle and how Archer’s
social realism can be used to provide a deeper
understanding
9. Dimensions of social realism
(Margaret Archer)
o Theory of change: morphogenesis (change)
and morphostasis (stability)
o Culture, structure and agency
oAgency - personal concerns and internal
conversations that drive our decision making,
but also institutional agency
11. “In the ROER4D project, Archer’s
theoretical framework is used to
understand under what conditions
(Structural and cultural) individual’s or
institutional decision making result in
change or constancy in OEP associated
with OER adoption….” (Hodgkinson-
Williams, Arinto, Cartmill & King, 2017,p.35)
13. Meta-synthesis Component: Creation of OER
Structure Culture Agency Interplay
Enablers:
Government support
School based support
Permission to use open
licences
Constraints:
Lack of permission to
share created works
Enablers:
Professional networks
Constraints:
Unfamiliar practice
amongst educators
Enablers:
Digital proficiency
Consideration for
reuse
Constraints:
Lack of digital
proficiency
Lack of awareness of
OER and Open
licensing
Lack of time
Access to
infrastructure,
medium level
digital proficiency,
legal permission,
technicalsupport, a
little financial aid
and motivation to
share seem to
encourate the
CREATION of OER
16. Case studies in South African Higher Ed: Creation of OER
Structure Culture Agency Interplay
Enablers:
Capacity - technical
and financial (grants)
Policy
Constraints:
Permission
Power in the hands of
management -
includes copyright
constraints
Enablers:
Awareness
Sharing culture
Institutional support
Academic freedom
and autonomy
Constraints:
Bureaucratic/
managerial where
institution has power
and permission and
no imperative to
share
Enablers:
Volition
Institutional
decision makers
need to support
OER adoption.
Individual agency is
key when
permission is in
place but then
depends on
personal concerns
of lecturers
17. Policy and power
Policy: specifically around copyright over
materials. Who owns the copyright and has legal
permission to share teaching materials
Openly?
Power: as a result of the policy either the
institution or the individual has the power to
choose to share
18. References
• Archer, M. S. (2003). Structure, agency and the internal conversation. Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press.
• Cox, G. & Trotter, H. (2017). Factors shaping lecturers’ adoption of OER at three South
African universities. In C. Hodgkinson-Williams & P. B. Arinto (Eds.), Adoption and impact
of OER in the Global South (pp. 287–347). Retrieved
from https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.601935
• Hodgkinson-Williams, C. (2014). Degrees of ease: Adoption of OER, open textbooks and
MOOCs in the Global South. Keynote address at the OER Asia Symposium 2014, 24–27
June 2014. Penang, Malaysia. Retrieved from https://open.uct.ac.za/handle/11427/1188
• Walji, S. & Hodgkinson-Williams, C. (2017). Understanding the nature of OEP for OER
adoption in Global South contexts: Emerging lessons from the ROER4D project. Presented
at OER17, 5–6 April 2017. London, UK. Retrieved from
https://www.slideshare.net/ROER4D/understanding-the-nature-of-oep-for-oer-adoption-
in-global-south-contextsemerging-lessons-from-the-roer4d-project
This work was carried out with a grant from the International Development
Research Centre, Ottawa, Canada.
19. http://roer4d.org/
Further reading
ROER4D principal investigators: Cheryl Hodgkinson-Williams & Patricia B. Arinto
Host institutions: University of Cape Town & Wawasan Open University
Edited volume: http://www.africanminds.co.za/dd-product/adoption-and-impact-
of-oer-in-the-global-south/
Published data sets:
https://www.datafirst.uct.ac.za/dataportal/index.php/catalog/ROER4D
Twitter: @ROER4D
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ResearchOERforDevelopment/?ref=br_rs
Notes de l'éditeur
The Research on Open Educational Resources for Development (ROER4D) project aims to provide evidence-based research from a number of countries in South America, Sub-Saharan Africa and South / South East Asia. The research here is from one of 18 sub-projects from 26 countries that aims to redress the current imbalance where so much research on OER is from the Global North. The primary objective of the programme is to improve educational policy, practice, and research in developing countries by better understanding the use and impact of OER. I conduct research in one of the programme’s sub-projects, focusing – with my colleague Henry Trotter - on OER in South Africa. For more information, see: http://www.roer4d.org
Useful with wide variety of studies, different methodologies, range of participants over different time periods
Identifies key issues
Theory helps to form an explanation of why and provides insights into the key themes.
17 projects were empirical, one was a cross-region literature review that was used in the first year only.
Archer (2003) is concerned with the burning question: “ How does structure influence agency?” Social theorists have tried to theorise the relationship between the two. Is there a process or causal mechanism that links the two? Archer (2003) argues that it is the properties and powers of agents that is key to the process of social change.
Structure: Policies, systems and infrastructure
Culture: beliefs, theories, value systems, norms
Agency: individuals, institutions, government agencies.
Power of analytic dualism
3 stages: structure and culture objectively shape the situations that agents confront involuntarily-and posses powers of constraints and enablements
2. Subjects have concerns and are subjective in their responses
Courses of action are produced through the reflexive deliberations of subjects who subjectively determine their practical projects in relation to their objective circumstances.
We travelled to the other universities and conducted workshops on OER and Creative Commons. These universities have quite different characteristics, as the table shows.
For here-
Consider all aspects: Structural/cultural/agential
Develop favourable policy environments to enable agency
Still no guarantee as agents need to believe in sharing and have the volition